The Importance of Driving Responsibly

Eleanor Patton

An overwhelming number of Americans drive all the time. Approximately 95 percent of American households own a car. And most Americans use a car to commute to work. “According to data published by the US Census Bureau, an estimated 85.4 percent of the 150 million workers drove to their workplace in an automobile, which comes down to 128 million people” (Statista Infographics). Obviously, driving is an essential part of our lives, but some Americans fail to recognize that driving can also be dangerous.

“The nonprofit National Safety Council estimates in a report issued Thursday that 42,060 people died in vehicle crashes in 2020, an 8% increase over 2019 and the first jump in four years” (UsaToday). Driving a car is no small matter. It is basically controlling a huge piece of metal that is rocketing down a road filled with other huge pieces of metal also rocketing down said road. And you and your passengers are inside it. If you do not pay attention to the road and do not follow the rules of traffic, the chances are unfortunately high that your trip will result in injury or possibly even death. It is therefore immensely important that you do pay close attention to the road and follow the rules of traffic so that you can keep yourself and your passengers safe.

Driving education is extremely important as well, as proven already by the fact that following the rules of traffic can protect you from car crashes. Driving education both gives you the needed knowledge about what the rules of traffic actually are, but also gives instructions about how to drive and maneuver your car safely and skillfully. It teaches you how to take good care of your car, how to drive in different types of weather, and gives various tips on how to be more aware when driving. I left driver’s education feeling both more confident about my abilities and also much more conscious of the importance of not driving drunk or distracted.

I think that simply making drivers aware of the consequences of reckless or distracted driving is a very useful way to motivate drivers to drive safely. Another step that can be taken to reduce the number of deaths related to driving is to encourage drivers to be responsible, not just when they are driving but also when others are driving them and are not acting responsibly. Peer pressure currently pushes teens to be less responsible and to be “cool” by speeding and to be “capable” by texting while driving. You can help to reverse this by gently reminding an irresponsible driver that being responsible and careful is so important and can possibly save your life and the lives of those around you.

My parents tend to be very responsible when they drive, and often remind me to be a safe, defensive driver. But some of my friends are less responsible and sometimes speed on roads they think are safe. When they drive me and are speeding, I remind them that speeding can be dangerous and so they should be more careful. My parent’s responsibility has impacted my driving positively, and so I hope that my responsibility will impact my friends’ driving in the same way.

I am very thankful for the driving system we have in the United States. “By all measures, motor-vehicle safety has vastly improved since the early 1900s. Driver attitudes and behaviors have changed substantially, as has vehicle safety technology, which makes car travel safer” (Injury Facts). Even though there are certainly many deaths as a result of driving, if not for the many regulations, the required drivers education, and the police who work so hard to keep us safe, the road would be a much more dangerous place.

But we should not be completely satisfied with how safe the roads are now. “Despite these historic drops, we cannot remain complacent. While motor-vehicle deaths and rates declined last year, since 2013 deaths have increased 10.6% and the mileage death rate has increased 1.7%” (Injury Facts). Our roads are far from being perfectly safe. One of the biggest steps that you personally can take to help reduce the number of car crashes and deaths from driving is simply to drive your own car responsibly, defensively, and carefully. This will not only protect your own life and your passengers but will also protect the other drivers around you. And by being a good example, you can inspire others to be more safe and responsible as well.

Works Cited:

“Car Crash Deaths and Rates.” Injury Facts, 29 Mar. 2021, injuryfacts.nsc.org/motor-vehicle/historical-fatality-trends/deaths-and-rates/.

Loesche, Dyfed, and Felix Richter. “Infographic: How Americans Commute to Work.” Statista Infographics, 5 Oct. 2017, www.statista.com/chart/11355/how-americans-commute-to-work/#:~:text=It’s%20not%20really%20hard%20to,down%20to%20128%20million%20people.

“Traffic Deaths Rose 8% in 2020, Even as Americans Drove Fewer Miles during Pandemic.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 5 Mar. 2021, www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2021/03/05/pandemic-travel-traffic-deaths-up-8-2020-despite-driving-less/4590942001/.